


Smile Less, Talk More

by Emotionalrodeo



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Burr is in denial, Cute, Fluff, Jeffmads in the background, M/M, Modern lawyers au, Theo is a dear
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-13
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-06-08 05:49:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,041
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6841468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Emotionalrodeo/pseuds/Emotionalrodeo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What happens when Theo visits her dad's work? Burr is busy but Lafaytte films it all. And why the hell is Hamilton talking less and smiling more?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Smile Less, Talk More

**Author's Note:**

> Burr and Hamilton work for the same lawfirm. Burr is a widower with a six-year-old daughter, Theo is a cutee helping out and Hamilton talks less.

Aaron Burr used to be a man of order. He used to be a man of strict schedules he made for himself. He used to be a man of self-discipline, which probably was one of the reasons he was doing so well in his job. He worked for a prestigious law firm in New York, in court he was succinct, persuasive, he always presented a strong defense for his clients. He might have heard them or his colleagues talk about him behind his back, they might have been saying things about him. Cold and heartless were the nicest of those things. Not that he cared anyway. 

Aaron Burr used to be the man with little sticky notes telling him what he had to do, those were of different colors only thanks to his daughter, Theodosia. Theodosia he cherished and loved greatly, he would do anything for her. Ever since his wife passed away four years ago, Aaron Burr was raising their daughter on his own. Theodosia was now six, she had her father’s eyes yet it was where the resemblance stopped. She was lively but not too noisy or talkative and smiled a lot. 

_Someone should really note that_ , huffed Burr to himself as he strode into the office building, his black briefcase in his hand. He glanced around before stepping into the main hall and hurried to the elevator. If it arrives quickly enough, he might as well get away. Burr glared at the numbers changing and gripped the handle of his briefcase tighter, the only thing he wanted was to get up to his floor and lock himself in his office. No clients were expected that day, just paperwork. In silence. And absolutely sure no Hamilton. 

_Hamilton_.

It all had to change when the total total disaster by the name of Alexander Hamilton walked into his life. Hamilton never stopped talking and was driving Burr mad. For some reason ever since Hamilton got his job as a lawyer at the very same firm, his office several doors down the corridor, they kept running into each other. Hamilton would greet Burr by the elevator in the morning, Burr started waking up and, thus, arriving three minutes earlier – Hamilton did so too, Burr arrived five minutes later – so did Hamilton. And to Burr’s annoyance and splitting headaches Hamilton just wouldn’t shut up on their way to the twentieth floor, which was too much, and Burr would almost slam the door of his office closed into Hamilton’s face. Hamilton couldn’t read a clue though. Even after that one time when Burr didn’t actually slam the door into his face and not like Hamilton got his nose broken or something.

They came across each in corridors, staff lounge rooms, by the coffee machine… They just wouldn’t stop meeting no matter how hard Burr tried. Burr couldn’t name what exactly it was about Hamilton that annoyed him so much. It might have had something to do with Hamilton always being extremely loud, jumping right into the fire of any argument and trying to prove his point no matter what, or his over-ambitiousness, or the way he dressed, or his hair, Burr certainly didn’t like his long hair, or his face as matter of fact. And his attitude. Definitely his attitude. 

Burr heard a familiar voice and jerked his head around. _Why do you always assume you’re the smartest in the room?_ he grumbled and looked up at the number of the floor, only three more were left. Hamilton was having an animated discussion with the office attendant Mulligan by the doors. Two. Burr watched with the corner of his eye as Hamilton whirled his arms around, not that Burr was interested in whatever Hamilton was saying or anything, he just had to make sure Hamilton won’t make it in time to join him in the elevator. One. Burr stepped inside.

“Wait, wait!” He heard Hamilton shout across the hall and pressed the closing door button. There was no way he was waiting up for Hamilton, especially if it looked like the first day in the last two weeks when he didn’t have to listen to Hamilton rambling so early in the morning. Not that Hamilton won’t pop into his office in the middle of the day with one of his ideas or another, yet Burr still had a chance to lock himself in. Which was exactly what he would do. Theodosia didn’t pack him sandwiches for nothing. The doors of the elevator were about to close, only a narrow gap was left and Burr let out his kept breath. 

Not yet. 

A shoe was shoved between the doors, they slid open and Hamilton rushed in. Burr felt the corner of his mouth twitch. Hamilton was gasping for air, his hair was a mess and hang down his face when he straightened out and grinned, “Good morning, Aaron Burr, sir.”

Burr pressed his hand to his throbbing temple and took a deep breath. He checked his stone expression back in place and uttered back a good morning. Hamilton grinned even wider, how it was possible escaped Burr, pulled out a hair band from his pocket and tied his hair back into a ponytail. 

Burr braced himself and frowned when the elevator stopped and a few more people entered, they all pressed buttons lower than twenty. The ride was getting even longer. Hamilton moved to stand right beside him. 

Burr felt like something was wrong. Something was absolutely, completely wrong. It was quiet apart from the clicking noises of some lady typing on her phone. Burr glanced down at Hamilton by his side, he was smiling and pulled a wider grin when he noticed Burr looking at him. Burr looked away. Fifteen. Yet it was ridiculous, for half a year he knew Hamilton the man never kept still or quiet. Burr glanced at Hamilton again, which earned him another grin, and jerked his head away. 

_This is some rubbish._

Burr stopped by his office door and fumbled for the keys in his pocket, he glanced back, yet Hamilton simply passed him without saying anything, a wide grin across his face. Burr watched him walk to his own office, pull out the keys, turn to him and wave and with that Hamilton entered his office and was gone. Burr stared down the empty corridor for a moment. He desperately tried to get his mind around what just happened. No answer came to Burr’s mind so he shrugged his shoulders and went inside his office. He didn’t lock the door behind him.

  
  
#####

 

Burr sipped on his coffee and drummed his fingers against the table as he watched Hamilton argue with Thomas Jefferson across the room. It was going on for a week, what the “it” was though Burr didn’t have the slightest idea. The were only two things he could tell for sure. One – Hamilton nearly stopped talking to him, apart from the good morning greetings and goodbyes, the latter were usually exchanged while Burr was leaving and Hamilton just left to fetch himself yet another cup of coffee. Nobody knows what patience Mulligan must have not to kick him out of the building after hours. The second thing was that Burr didn’t have a headache. 

He narrowed his eyes at the disaster that was Hamilton shouting his head off at Jefferson. From what Burr heard so far he could tell that it was about the latest case of Jefferson’s, why Hamilton had to jump in and force on his own opinion or why he even had one when the case didn’t concern him at all was beyond Burr. Yet expected of Hamilton. 

Burr took another sip and munched on his sandwich, one of their colleagues, James Madison, tried to tug Jefferson away by his sleeve. Unsuccessful. Burr watched Hamilton closely, at first, which was several days before, Burr was considering the idea of Hamilton losing the ability to speak. Yet seeing him bicker with everyone else in the firm or imposing his unasked for opinions on whatever subject proved the idea wrong. 

When all is said and all is done it really was only Burr who happened to escape Hamilton’s attention, not as if it was bothering him or anything. It was simply getting more and more ridiculous with every day. For a split second Burr even considered approaching Hamilton himself but he dismissed it at once. After all, it was all for the better and Burr did not miss the sudden loss in any way. Like not at all. He just couldn’t figure out what happened and that was the only thing bothering him. The only one. Seriously.

Burr looked up from his coffee and noticed that somebody managed to pull Hamilton and Jefferson from each other. The latter now sat in the corner, his arms crossed over his chest, and glared at everyone passing by while Madison stuffed him some macaroni from his lunchbox. Burr looked around for Hamilton, he was nowhere to be seen, so Burr crumpled the foil from his sandwiches, picked up the empty cup and rose to leave.

“Oh, you’re leaving, Mr. Burr, sir?” 

Burr looked back, Hamilton grinned at him, put his cup of coffee on the table and drew out the other chair for himself. 

“No, not yet.” Burr had no idea what made him say it. Hamilton seemed to grin even wider at that. And kept quiet. Burr felt the corner of his mouth twitch. Hamilton kept quiet. 

Burr jerked away and strode to fill his cup with more coffee, then returned to the table and sat down across Hamilton. He looked at the wall to the right of Hamilton but would steal a glance at the man when he thought he wasn’t looking. Hamilton was looking at Burr all the time though and would widen his grin whenever he caught him. They stared at each other in silence, Burr’s glower edging on a polite smile, Hamilton’s shit-eating grin. Burr never thought there’d be a day in his life he wished Hamilton talked more and smiled less. 

Yet Burr was saved from questioning his very existence as Washington swept into the room. “Hamilton, a word!” he threw and went out. Jefferson sneered, his eyes were on Hamilton, and slurped the noodle that Madison has holding up for him. Madison shook his head and sighed. 

Burr turned back and raised his eyebrow at Hamilton. Hamilton didn’t stir, the forced grin seemed to be stuck on his face. 

“Better not keep Washington waiting,” Burr pointed out.

Hamilton nodded and stood up. “See you later, Aaron Burr, sir.” Burr watched his back disappear round the corner. 

Madison sneezed and Jefferson handed him a tissue from his pocket, he made a note to himself to always have a handful around some time ago. Burr drank up his coffee and returned to his office, after all he did have a lot of work to do and not worry about some annoying immigrant. He glanced at his watch and noted that he was ten minutes late from his break, a slightly irritating fact but not a new one, Burr started falling behind his schedules the day Hamilton walked into his life and decided to be his… What actually? Colleague? Friend? Burr didn’t want to know the answer to that.

The usual routine went on but Burr would glance up at the door from time to time. He expected Hamilton to burst in any time soon. Yet the round clock on the wall kept ticking the time away, it was getting late without any visitors. Burr picked up his phone a few times but would put it down and go back to the legal documents he needed for a court procedure. He told himself that it was just his imagination and nothing was wrong with Hamilton those days, and, no, he didn’t notice anything, and, hell no, he wasn’t worried about him. Or the fact that Hamilton stopped talking only to him. Or that grin he wanted to wipe off his face. 

Burr leaned back into his leather chair and growled. He reached out for his phone again and went through the contacts one more time. There was only one person who might know something about the whole matter and whom Burr could possibly text. Lafayette. For one, he was a close friend of Hamilton’s, for two, he was also a colleague, for three, he might not ask any questions. 

_Well, the last one’s a lie,_ pointed out Burr to himself and the next second shoved the thought away. Of course, Lafayette would have to ask why he was suddenly interested in Hamilton’s well-being. At least Burr won’t see Lafayette when he texts him. Those suggestive smirks would be the end of him otherwise. 

Burr typed the message several times. It didn’t look right. The last thing he wanted was to come across as worried. Why should he be worried anyway? He wasn’t when Hamilton showed up a month ago with his lip split and a blue eye. He might have even believed the story where Hamilton fell down the stairs. 

In the end Burr settled on a brief message.

 

**“Haven’t you noticed anything? About Hamilton.”**

**  
**  
“Non. Why?” 

  
  
Burr narrowed his eyes at the screen, for some reason Lafayette just missed a perfect opportunity to tease him. Surely it was for the better, maybe he could push a little more with that luck.

 

**“He has been talking less.”**

 

Burr threw his phone back onto the desk and rubbed his forehead. Why did he even care anyway? Whatever it was it was Hamilton’s problem. Not his. Maybe even Hamilton’s friends’. Burr definitely didn’t feel a pang when he kept excluding himself from the group. Absolutely not. Unless… 

The phone tinged and Burr nearly jumped. He grabbed it but didn’t open the message as yet, his mind rambled on. Unless he came to know something, yes, Hamilton came to know something. Something about Burr. Something embarrassing, it must be something embarrassing or why would he grin like that?

 

“ **Interesting that you’ve noticed, mon ami,”** said the text.

 

Burr growled. What else did he expect? Well, he did call for that.  


“ **Never mind,”** he texted. He looked at the screen for a moment and added, **“Forget I said anything.”**

 

Burr put the phone down, switched on the desk lamp and returned to the papers. It was already dark outside but, since Theo was staying at his sister’s that week and he didn’t have much work done because of the disaster by the name of Alexander Hamilton, Burr decided to stay after hours. He pressed his fingertips to his temples and tried to concentrate, a certain infuriating immigrant wouldn’t quite leave his thoughts though.

About an hour passed when the phone tinged again. Burr ignored it at first but the second text came in a minute. Burr cringed, picked up the phone and prepared for the worst when he saw that both texts were from Lafayette.  


“ **Can’t believe I didn’t think about! It’s very interesting, you’d be interested, mon ami. I even filmed ‘cause too cute.”  
**   


**“Coming to your office. NOW.”**

 

Burr felt his eye twitch and covered it with his hand. He put his phone down. He glanced at the door and considered leaving but there was a high possibility of running into Lafayette in the corridor or by the elevator. The stairs were also not a solution because who knew if the Frenchman would run up two floors to show Burr whatever it was or not. Burr sighed and leaned back, his eyes on the door.

He didn’t wait long as in about a minute it flew open and Lafayette rushed in. He wobbled to Burr’s table, looking down at phone in his hand. Typing and walking at the same time certainly wasn’t his forte.

“ ‘ere,” he beamed proudly and shoved his phone in Burr’s face. “Might ‘ave sent it but ‘ave to see your face.”

Burr pushed the phone away from his eyes. On the screen was the entrance hall, Mulligan’s chest blocked almost all the view. Then came a hushed whisper and some shuffling, the picture zoomed to Mulligan’s side.  
Theodosia. Burr stared at his daughter on the screen. He remembered that day well, last week he was driving her to Sally’s when he got an urgent call from Washington and had to return to hand him over a case. Theo agreed though didn’t want to wait in the car and instead went with him into the building. Burr thought she’d follow him up into his office where he would leave her to wait for him. Theo had other ideas. She stopped by a pot plant in the hall, bent forward, her hands locked behind her back, and looked it over.

“Daddy? Can I stay here?” she called out. Burr didn’t like the idea at all.

“I’ll look after the little missy,” suggested Mulligan as he walked to Burr from the door. Burr didn’t like that idea much either. 

Theo giggled and ran to them, her light blue dress flying around. She stopped by Mulligan’s side, rose on her tiptoes and gestured to show her own height compared to his imposing figure. “You’re tall,” she laughed. “Daddy, can I stay here with Mr…” Theo looked up, raised her finger and traced it to the right as she read the name tag, “Mr. M-u-l-l-i-g-a-n?” She smiled at Burr, “Please?” and he decided to let it be.

Anyway it had to be that day that Lafayette had on his video and Burr couldn’t understand what it all had to do with Hamilton at all. It must have had something to do with Hamilton. He might have stopped talking to Burr the day after that. Sure, it was exactly the day after.

A shh and some more shuffling, Lafayette was probably moving as the picture blurred. When it focused, however, Burr felt his eye twitch. There he was. Hamilton. Lafayette zoomed some more and the picture showed Hamilton crouching next to Theo who had her hands on his face and was squishing it a little. Both smiled widely.

“Talk less,” said Theo and pulled up the corners of his mouth with her thumbs. “Smile more.”

Hamilton laughed, a genuine smile spread across his face as he covered her hands with his. “You think so?” He pulled her hands away and took them in his. 

Burr stared at the scene in front of him without blinking.

“Daddy says so,” singsonged Theo. “Daddy says he likes your smile.”

A guffaw sounded and the camera jerked, the picture blurred. Burr stared at the screen in horror, he heard Lafayette join his digital self in the laughter. The video, though still unfocused, showed Burr coming out from the elevator before it stopped. 

Burr didn’t move.

“Now that you’ve mentioned it, mon ami,” uttered Lafayette through his guffaw, he was clutching his sides, “Alex does seem to talk less.” He patted Burr on the shoulder. “Didn’t notice it at first because as it turns it’s all about you.”

Burr shoved the still laughing Lafayette to the side and stood up. He rushed out of his office, trying to ignore the snickering and not care for the smug look on Lafayette’s face. Burr strode down the corridor and stopped in front of the last office. He had no idea what he was doing, what he was about to do. It was absolutely insane. Hamilton might have wrecked not only his routine but also his principals. Looked like Hamilton did manage to turn his whole life upside down, there should be a limit to that. Somewhere at least. Burr knocked on the door.

What am I going to say? Wait, why am I even here? What do I even want to say? Should probably clear the misunderstanding. I definitely don’t like him, smiling or not. Absolutely.

No answer came and Burr lingered, indecisive. He could just return to his office, probably would have deal with Lafayette though, and forget all about it. Forget all about Hamilton and his shit-eating grin. The light in the office was switched on, Burr could see the gush under the door in the dark corridor. 

Before he had any time to think it over Burr pushed the door open and stepped. Hamilton’s office met him with its disarray, stacks of papers were scattered all over, some single sheets must have slipped out of their folders and lay on the floor by the desk. Burr walked towards the desk, its owner slept peacefully on top of it, having buried his face in his arms. Hamilton looked very peaceful, his back was rising and falling, his breath shuffled a lock of hair that had fallen onto his forehead. A little snoring sound came and Burr smiled, it was adorable. Burr tucked the piece of hair behind Hamilton’s ear. 

Hamilton shifted slightly and Burr jerked his hand away and stumbled back. What was he even doing? He raised his hand to eyes and closed, then opened his fingers. 

“Burr?” called out a sleepy voice. Hamilton raised his head from his arms, a red crease mark from his suit stretched across his forehead. Hamilton ran his hands over his face and yawned. “Three hours of sleep last night. The divorce case and all,” he blurted out, “the difficult one that Washington handed me, remember Aaron?” 

Burr flinched at the use of his name but he shoved the feeling down as soon as possible. Hamilton didn’t seem to have noticed the slip at all and rambled on. 

“… and then I…” he gave Burr a curious look. “What’s it?” He rubbed his cheek. “Is there something on my face? Is it ink?” He snatched up some sheets from his desk and glanced them over. “Has it printed on my face?” 

Suddenly Hamilton froze, still holding the papers. He looked at Burr with the corner of his eye, his face turning white. He laid the papers down, eyes still on Burr, locked his fingers together, put his hands on the table, pulled a smile and turned to Burr.

“Is there something you wanted?” The smile stretched out even more. “Mr. Burr, sir?”

Burr opened his mouth to answer, he expected that Hamilton won’t let him say a word anyway so any excuse for coming to his office wasn’t necessary. Hamilton stayed quiet. Burr felt the corner of his mouth twitch, he wished he knew what it was that he needed. Apparently he didn’t and nothing would come to his mind as his eyes darted across the room, from the lettered folders, yet in completely wrong order, to the stacks of papers.

Hamilton stretched his face into a grin, it looked absolutely ridiculous. Burr crossed his arms across his chest and looked down at him. He followed a crease trace across Hamilton’s cheek and felt an urge to reach out and touch it. Burr cut himself off in horror. It needed to stop, there was no way he might actually like Alexander Hamilton, no way in hell.

“Do you even know the difference between a smile and a smug grin?” he pointed out, the usual stone expression guarded with extra effort. “No, wait, don’t answer that.” 

A shadow passed Hamilton’s face and the grin faltered, instead a softer and a more genuine expression of sleepy confusion took its place. 

_Adorable_. Burr shook his head, he swore he heard the string of his composure snap inside his head. He gave in to whatever was wrong with him. “I’m picking up Theo from my sister’s tomorrow, then we are having dinner. You’re invited, 7 pm, don’t be late, I’ll sent you my address.” Burr realized what he just did only when the last words left his mouth. It was too late to take them back. 

Not to late to run though and he turned on his heels and swept for the door. He felt Hamilton’s stare on his back, it made him halt with his hand on the door handle. It passed Burr’s mind that one more decision he certainly would regret later wouldn’t hurt his dignity. It was havocked a while ago anyway. 

“And, Alexander?” Burr looked back, Hamilton gaped at him. Burr couldn’t help but smile. “Talk more.”


End file.
